Happy Father's Day
by WizardDemigodAvian-American
Summary: Young Fitz tries to impress his father on Father's Day. Six years later, Jemma tries to figure out why her best friend won't let her see his drawings of his engineering projects. (Spoilers about Fitz's dad from 4x15)


The first two Father's Day's, Fitz is too young to remember. At least that means that his father could only ruin seven of them.

Fitz is excited about Father's Day when he is three years old. He makes a card and draws a picture of his dad inside the card and writes "Happy Father's Day" in big letters on the front.

"Leo, your father's home!" His mother calls from the kitchen.

Fitz hurries to write one last thing on the back of the card. He throws down the orange marker before even closing the cap to hurry and run to his father. Now his floor is the same color as the sweet "from your Leo Lion" on the back of the card.

"What have you got there, Leo?" his mother asks.

"It's for Dad!" Fitz says happily. His little legs run as fast as they can and bump into his father.

"Happy Father's Day!" he says and holds the card up to his father.

"Father's Day? Already? I guess so," he says and opens the card.

"Who's this?" He asks.

"That's you!" Fitz says jittery with excitement.

"Is it? You should really be able to tell who you draw. Drawing just isn't for you, son. You're not good enough," his father says and Fitz loses his enthusiasm.

Fitz's mother gives him a withering look.

"But, uh, thanks anyway. It's the thought that counts, eh? That's what they say, isn't it?" Fitz's father awkwardly pats his arm as he walks past him.

Fitz stands there a moment comprehending what's happened. Finally, he runs to his room and the closed door muffles his tears. He knows his father would tell him that he is three years too old to cry.

The next Father's Day, Fitz tries again. He draws a picture of both of them. Fitz holds his breath in anticipation when he hands it to his father. Is he good enough now?

"Thought I told you last year that you couldn't draw... guess you didn't get it. You never were a bright child, were you?" His father says.

Fitz didn't know what to say. Once again, he made sure his closed door muffled his tears.

* * *

From then on, Fitz works hard to make better cards. He draws better pictures. He uses better paper. He writes better messages. He practices drawing when he isn't taking apart his mother's appliances and then putting them back together.

It is never good enough for his father. (The things he makes with spare parts are never good enough either.)

When he is five, Fitz is told that if he is going to do something, he needs to do it right.

When he is six, he finds his card in the trash.

When he is seven, his father doesn't even show up at home on Father's Day. Fitz cries all day. He doesn't understand why he can't be good enough.

When he is eight, Fitz buys a card. Maybe a real card made by someone with real talent will make him happy.

"Happy Father's Day, Dad," Fitz says hesitantly. His father looks at the card and laughs.

"This obviously isn't you handiwork. Not that anything you make is ever handy. I guess you really do like giving up, huh, son? Maybe I should have let you mum name you. I had just hoped you could be a real Leopold the way I am. Bold. A lion," his father says with his voice full of disappointment.

"I...I'm sorry," Fitz says almost inaudibly. He barely makes it to his room before the tears overflow. He's angry that he can't do anything right for his father.

When Fitz is ten, he works all year on his card. He is determined to live up to his name- his father's name.

He works all year on his card. He uses his engineering skills to make a pop up card that really is spectacular.

His father never saw it.

That year, Fitz didn't shed tears for his father. He didn't deserve them.

His father never saw the card.

In fact, no one ever saw it.

That is, until a certain British brunette finally convinces him to properly grieve.

* * *

[Fitzsimmons first year at SHIELD Academy when they are already best friends]

"No! A monkey could never do that, Fitz!" Simmons says in exasperation.

"Don't underestimate monkeys. I'll show you one day. I'll have a monkey of my own and he'll prove you wrong," Fitz says.

"And how many times have I been proved wrong since you've known me," she asks.

"Okay, not many," Fitz admits and scratches his head, "but it's usually me who can prove you wrong, Simmons."

Simmons laughs.

"Nevertheless, a monkey could never do that," Simmons insists.

Fitz opens his mouth to argue, but she shakes her head.

"Trust me, I'm the biologist," Simmons insists. It seems she has won this good hearted bickering match.

"Then I get to lead on this project. It's predominantly engineering," Fitz reasons.

"I don't know why I'm taking this class at all. I don't know how you talked me into it," Simmons says as she grabs the two mugs of tea and follows Fitz to the couch and coffee table.

"Really, Simmons? Do you really think it was hard for me to convince you to take a class?" He says as he sets up for the project they are working on.

"I'm just glad we were partnered on this project. You're obviously the best engineer here," Simmons says. Fitz blushes.

"I'm glad that we got partnered on that first project," He says, "Imagine if we never became friends."

"I don't want to," She shivers.

"Yeah," he agrees, "me either."

Simmons smiles and touches his shoulder before reaching for his sketches of the designs for their project. Fitz suddenly and violently grabs them out of her hand.

"Fitz! What was that?" Simmons asks in shock.

"Those are my designs for the night-night gun!" Fitz exclaims.

"Ugh, Fitz, one day the Avengers could use this and you want them to use the night-night gun? Really?" Simmons says.

"That's not the point! And we're only building a prototype this year. Don't get ahead of yourself," he says, still angry.

"I don't get why you never let me see your designs. You're so talented, Fitz. You always let me see the clumsiest prototypes, but never the plans. Why, Fitz? I don't understand. And besides, I have to see them. We're partners," Simmons says.

"I know, but," Fitz begins.

"We're partners, Fitz," she says and gives him a look that she says she means more than just on this project.

"You can't see them," he says stubbornly.

"Okay," Simmons says, confused but respectful. She works on the project as best she can without seeing the plans. Fitz describes them to her. Simmons gets frustrated at not ending able to understand with out any visuals.

"Why won't you just let me see, Fitz?" Jemma asks loudly.

"BECAUSE I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK I'M NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" Fitz shouts.

"How could you ever think that I could possibly think you aren't good enough?" Jemma asks in shock.

"Because he-" Fitz stops.

"Fitz, you have to tell me, please. I can't help you if you don't talk to me, Fitz. I always want you to talk to me," Jemma says. Fitz just stares down at his hands in silence. Jemma grabs his hand reassuringly.

"When I was ten, my dad left. He, uh, didn't think I was good enough. Smart enough. Whatever. It's stupid. I made a few Father's Day cards and he told me I couldn't draw. He's right though. My drawings are rubbish. I just never let people see anything after that. Sorry, Simmons. We're working on the project together. Of course you need to see them," Fitz says and hold the sketches out to her.

Jemma takes them gingerly and looks at them.

"Oh, Fitz," Jemma says and practically attacks him with a hug.

"Oxygen, Simmons," Fitz complains.

"Sorry," she apologizes and loosens he grip. She still keeps an arm around him and lays beside him.

"Your father is an idiot. You are not even bad at drawing! I am so sorry that he was such a bad father, and I'm so sorry that you don't tell me sooner!" Jemma says.

"It's not a big deal," Fitz mumbles.

"Fitz! Yes, this is big deal! I need to know that you know that you are good enough,"

Jemma says seriously.

"Yeah, I know," Fitz says unconvincingly.

"Oh, Fitz," Jemma says yet again.

"Did you mother help you through your father leaving?" She asks.

"Mum's great. She cares, but she never really understood me. She was always supportive of me," Fitz says.

"You avoided the question," Jemma says with a sigh.

"She'd lost her husband, too. I tried to be strong for her. Told her I didn't care," Fitz admits.

"Well, you're going to get help now. I am going to make sure you know what is so obvious to me, okay?" Simmons says desperately.

"Okay," Fitz says quietly.

"Okay," she nods, "You are the kindest, smartest, strongest, most loyal person I have ever met. You are my best friend and I love you. If your father couldn't see that, then that's his loss. It says the world about him and NOTHING about you. Do you understand?"

"Yeah," Fitz says, "thanks, Simmons."

"Good," she says and kisses him on the cheek.

"Simmons," Fitz groans.

"We'll do the project tomorrow," she says and just lays beside him.

And, of course, she knows that's just what he needs.

A few days later, Fitz even shows her his Father's Day cards. He kept the one his father threw away and the one his father never saw. It was to remind him not to care about his father.

"Your first name is Leo. I forget that. I should call you that. You're my best friend, after all, Leo," Simmons says after reading his name on the card.

"No," Fitz says determinedly, "Don't call me Leo. I'm not Leo. I'm not his Leo. I'm not _him_ ," Fitz insists.

"I'm sorry," Simmons says. She hesitates before saying, "His name was Leopold, too?"

"Yeah."

"The you'll always be Fitz. I promise. Anyway, I like that name."

* * *

15 years later in Pershire

"Happy Father's Day, Daddy! Look what I made! I did it all by myself!" Fitz's sweet, three-year-old son says and hand him a card.

It is wrinkled and a little smeared. "Father's" is missing the apostrophe. The back of the card says "love your monkey."

It is perfect.

"I love it. It's wonderful, son," Fitz says as tears well up in his eyes and his voice breaks, " you've got some real talent there. I bet you could be an artist if you wanted to."

"Thanks, Daddy," he says and gives Fitz a hug. "I'm going to go get the cookies Mum made, okay?"

Jemma looks at the scene fondly and sheds a tear of her own. She still marvels at how wonderful her Fitz is. She loves that he is such a good father despite his terrible role model.

"And just think, next year, we'll have two little monkeys celebrating Father's Day with you," Jemma says.

"Yeah," Fitz says, "Wait, what?"

Jemma just smiles.


End file.
